Fowler among six Rockies to file for arbitration

By Thomas Harding / MLB.com

DENVER -- Rockies outfielder Dexter Fowler, coming off his best season, and right-hander Jhoulys Chacin, who is bouncing back from an injury-shortened 2012, were among six Rockies to file for arbitration, the MLB Players Association announced Tuesday.

Also filing were outfielder Tyler Colvin, right-handed pitcher Wilton Lopez, shortstop Jonathan Herrera and left-handed pitcher Josh Outman. Player and club figures are to be exchanged Friday, and teams and players will attempt to negotiate a contract. If an agreement cannot be reached, arbitration hearings before a three-judge panel -- which will choose either the player's figure or the team's for his 2013 salary -- will be conducted Feb. 4-20.

Teams can sign players to one-year or multiyear deals to avoid arbitration. A source said the team is not expected to grant any multiyear deals this year.

It is the second year of arbitration for the switch-hitting Fowler, who avoided an arbitration hearing with a $2.35 million contract last year. Fowler finished last season with a .300 batting average, a .383 on-base percentage and 13 home runs -- all career highs. He also had 18 doubles, 11 triples and 12 stolen bases.

Chacin, in his first year of arbitration, missed a large chunk of the season with a nerve issue in the right side of his chest, and he finished the year 3-5 with a 4.43 ERA in 14 starts.

Colvin, like Fowler last year, is a Super Two player. Most players eligible for arbitration have three or more years of service time, but the highest 22 percent of players above two years are also eligible. Colvin, who joined the Rockies before last season in a trade with the Cubs, earned close-to-regular playing time and batted .290 with 18 home runs and 72 RBIs.

The Rockies traded with the Astros for Lopez during the Winter Meetings and plan to use him as a right-handed setup man. Lopez appeared in 64 games last season and went 6-3 with a 2.17 ERA and 10 saves.

Herrera appeared in 96 games and hit .262 with three homers and 12 RBIs. Outman bounced between the Majors, Triple-A Colorado Springs and Double-A Tulsa. In the Majors, he went 1-3 with an 8.19 ERA in 27 games, including seven starts.